#ie. sanji in water 7

[usoppssketchbook]

This is kind of what I was talking about with that art I recently posted. Usopp’s fighting style since the timeskip leans heavily on the pop greens. They are powerful, and he can handle stronger enemies than he used to because of them, but at the same time they’ve become a crutch for him. The weapons are powerful, not him or the way he uses them. It seems like he’s become less inclined to use his head and skills to win, and more likely to charge into situations headfirst, the same way he used to criticize Luffy and Zoro for doing. In the case of Sugar and Trebol, this resulted in getting his ass beat and only winning on a fluke**. 

Usopp has the might of pop greens behind him now, but they're not what make him strong. In a fight, Usopp's greatest strengths have always been his quick thinking and creativity. I want him in a situation that takes all his tricks, cunning, and inventiveness to survive, a situation where he can't lean on just his plants or some powerful weapon like Kuro Kabuto to get things done. I know it's never gonna happen because using your brains strategy isn't how you become a Strong Honorable Man™ in One Piece, but I really want Usopp's character growth to be about accepting himself, and for that acceptance to include using his own kind of strength to win, not capitulating to One Piece’s worship of head on battle. I want him to come out the other side of that fight with the understanding that he doesn't need to be like Luffy or Zoro or the giants to be strong, that he doesn’t have to be like his dad, that he doesn’t have to jump into every situation guns blazing or live completely without fear to be a brave warrior. 

**credit where credit is due, he did follow this up with an epic shot and psychological warfare tactics, which I loved

Edit 11/27/2024: I would like to formally rescind my statement about the plants and Usopp’s way of fighting post time skip. I do miss his old weapons, and wish he would bring them out alongside the pop greens or show off his inventive genius, but the plants are resourceful and creative weapons in their own right. They are not a crutch, but another sign of Usopp’s ingenuity.

I think that when I wrote this post I was feeling especially frustrated with how little screen time Oda gives Usopp, and conflated it a bit with Oda’s tendency to have Nami use Thunderbolt Tempo over… literally any other attack.

usopp likes to tinker, and make things, and invent things that improve himself and his skills and the fact that about absolutely NONE of that shines through in his design, fighting style, or skills, is bullshit. usopp is tactical and smart and i would classify as the best guy to make a strategy in any situation and the fact that this trait of his seems to have been replaced with the plants thing is shit to me

the tactician aspect of usopp is what should have been delved into further, it is the character development that usopp needs to come to terms with, that he’ll never be strong like luffy or zoro but he will always win against them because he is smarter than them and more clever then they are, that maybe he won’t be a “man” in the way he feels his father was, but he’ll be strong of heart, morals, and skills

like the plants thing is cool but it’s also bullshit because it’s an entirely new trait rather then expanding on a pre established trait like the rest of the got to do during the timeskip.

[slowcatsisland]

Your Thoughts on dating Zoro? Would he fall for women or men? Thinking about popular ships like Zoro x Sanji or Zoro x Robin/Tashigi/Hyiori? ❤️❤️❤️

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Roronoa Zoro Thoughts: Emotional Intelligence and Ability To Date

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Tw guys my opinion don’t hate me☝️

Okay so ima explain my understanding of Zoro’s character and his possibility of being romantically involved with another person and then my thoughts on Zoro’s popular ships.

To me, Zoro is a physical representation of a protector, a predator, and loyalty (and death but that’s not fully realized). He prioritizes the safety of the people important to him, burdens himself to evolve into a stronger swordsman for the people close to him, and sees more value in actions rather than words.

He used to be someone that was living for himself, until Kuina. Then he was living for his shared promise to become the greatest swordsman, until Luffy. Until Thriller Bark, Sabaody, and his exile in Muggy Kingdom. Now he lives for his crew, to ensure Luffy’s dream and through Luffy achieving his dream Zoro will achieve his own (plus him actually having another duel with Mihawk). Yk what I’m saying? He still has a goal, but it has changed to encompass the Strawhats as a whole with a special bond towards Luffy.

There’s this tiktok editing account called ._avxmvx_ and they have such good edits that I feel like speak for Zoro’s character- just a side note hehe

••

Okay guys, me personally, I don’t see Zoro being interested in dating. It’s not anywhere near the top of his list in canon. Plus he’s sort of the newest addition to the characters that embody death in One Piece and he has that whole ‘walking Asura’s path’ thing going on.

Although I do like reading about/the dynamic of Zoro with a person that is either the representation of a higher being (ie, Luffy being the god Nika through his devil fruit yk smth like that) or of things associated with gods (example being person with relations/undertones of say wine, grapes, floral, earthy colors, with a personality summed up in a few words as indulgent, capricious, joyous, and fiendish because all of these things are alluded to the Greek god Dionysus.)

Zoro being paired with someone with religious and spiritual energy and ties is something I personally enjoy because Zoro is a character that is morally grey, has no belief in a higher being, has accepted damning himself for the sake of others, and actually has in canon relationships that have religious implications (guys Luffy and Zoro trust me bro)

I like dynamics like those paired with Zoro because I think it’s something that challenges his way of viewing the world when he’s surrounded by someone that encompasses a higher influence that’s not attainable by people but it’s not forcing him change yk??

••

Zoro is also a character with a stunted emotional understanding and capacity for empathy in my opinion.

I say this because of his parent’s death at an early age, a heavy training focused childhood, the death of his only close friend, and the isolation of his teenage years when he left Shimotsuki village up until he met Luffy.

This isn’t to say that he doesn’t feel emotion and can’t joke around (pre time skip funny Zoro come back to me pls) but overall I think it’s easier for Zoro to not engage with others on a highly emotional level and in emotional situations Zoro is most comfortable looking at things rationally as best he can without adding subjectiveness onto the situation (think Water 7, his opposition to Usopp rejoining the crew without properly apologizing and atoning.)

Zoro also actively tries to squash his feelings imo which is kinda sad. (Think how in drum island he tells himself to squash instincts and so now he’s not shown to be cold even in punk hazard and the beginning of egghead he was just toughening it out.)I think he does this because his mind associates the best swordsman with strength and not being influenced by your surrounding.

Which is why I think Mihawk is the reason for his stoicism post timeskip.

Now, this relates back to his ability to be with someone romantically because it probably wouldn’t be easy for him to. Especially not emotionally. It probably would be uncharted territory for him and if he wanted it his partner would have to work with him and teach him and build up his ability to understand others emotions and the ability to sympathize/empathize.

••

Now, gender wise, I actually can’t give you a clear answer on what I think Zoro’s preference would be. I feel like Zoro’s preference is more of a scale that looks at character traits and actions rather than identity and appearance.

In all honesty, I could see Zoro having an easier time becoming involved with a man rather than a woman. I don’t have much reasoning for it though, it’s just a feeling.

Perhaps his comfortability in his masculinity? Maybe because of how obviously dense he is when it comes to women? Maybe his past relationships of Saga and Kuina? Idk

••

So, in canon Zoro being in a relationship is a no go imo. (Edit: asexual man) Now let’s discuss my thoughts on Zoro’s popular ships.

I don’t ship Zoro with anyone, however I do appreciate the dynamics of some of his ships because I view them as something deeper than romance.

To me, a lot of Zoro’s ships are understood as a soulmate- you feel right in my life and I want to be around you type of way I’ll protect you no matter how bloody the future is- not a -I really like you I wanna kiss you and have sex with you and you can talk to me all about your feelings about the world- type of way

Not saying that the ladder can’t or isn’t presented in fandom media, it is just something that I don’t prioritize seeing in Zoro ships.

••

Zoro x Luffy: I appreciate Zoro x Luffy again in a more subservient dynamic.

(Omg I saw a post like a year ago saying smth about how Zoro is Luffy’s in a way none of the other strawhats are because he hasn’t ever betrayed or left the crew and out of the romance dawn crew he’s the only one that hasn’t done so ugh I wish I could find the creator I’d love to tag them)

I like exploration on how devoted Zoro is to Luffy and I do think that they have a bond that is deeper than just friends or captain and first mate.

But I wouldn’t call it romantic or sexual. It is natural, it is inherent and instinctual, it is almost religious imo

I also don’t think that Luffy is interested in dating.

Because of this, I do think that the ship works in certain ways. (u understand what I’m saying?)

••

Zoro x Sanji: I feel like this has potential as a ship but there’s things that need to happen before yk.

First, Sanji needs to acknowledge and heal through his trauma. Of his childhood, guilt, body, Germa, and especially his relationship/perspective of men, masculinity, and women.

I think Zoro could help him through it, if they ever talked about it. But I doubt they would. At least not explicitly. Maybe roundabout but something so minimal the implications could be lost easily on either of them.

But Zoro’s lack of emotional understanding is also called into play here. This is something that Sanji is very good at. He’s emotionally aware and attune to those around him. They are opposites in this way. But pairing them together isn’t good imo in a ship way. Yk?

I like the ship dynamic in how they complete each other in different ways. I read a post before about Zoro’s association with the number three and Sanji’s representation of the number three. Sanji’s humanity compared with Zoro’s brutalism or strength. They are strong in different ways. They are vital to the crew in different ways.

They work as a duo more than a ship to me though. I don’t see them romantic, I don’t see them sexual, but I do see them as sort of kindred flames or something of soulmates.

They belong in each other’s world and they do need each other but they won’t admit it. Yk?

••

Zoro x Robin: guys no.

I’m sorry but I just don’t support this ship at allllllll.

I do understand the evidence that Zorobin shippers bring up. They are alike, they do have a good dynamic, they respect each other, they are vital to the crew, but it’s just mid.

I feel like I don’t like it that much because regardless of Zoro’s loyalty to Robin as shown, Zoro doesn’t really interact with her fondly. Yk? Like I don’t remember seeing them just kinda chit chat for a second. There’s always something that is the catalyst for them to interact as far as I understand.

I also don’t think that Zoro is the best significant other for Robin. He isn’t what Robin would want nor need.

I say this due to his emotional intelligence, his aloof personality overall, and his dedication to training. I also say this because of Robin’s intellectualism, childhood experience, and personality. I feel like Franky is just so much better for her (sorry guys rip Frobin from my dead body.)

••

Zoro x Tashigi: I do not see this as a ship. I don’t like it particularly as a ship either.

I liked Tashigi and Zoro’s first dynamic when they first interacted with each other in Loguetown when Tashigi and Smoker were originally introduced.

The way that Tashigi was a female swordsman that looked just like Kuina, Zoro’s dead friend. The way that this made Zoro uncomfortable and he couldn’t handle it.

I loved it. I thought it was so interesting for Zoro’s character. I wish they kept it in post timeskip because it would’ve changed their behavior (or at least Zoro’s) towards each other in Punk Hazard.

I feel like this also ties into Zoro’s emotional capacity as well because he understands why he’s uncomfortable but he doesn’t try to change it- he only ever tries to run from her and increase their distance.

So, I don’t see nor support this as a ship, but I liked it a lot when Zoro was uncomfortable around Tashigi.

••

Zoro x Kuina: I do not view this as a ship either.

I think that Kuina was best as Zoro’s friend and the added complexity of romantic feelings at such a young age plus her death is just a lot. It’s a lot for Zoro.

I also don’t feel like it suits Zoro either. Loving her like that would better suit and origin story for Sanji ykwim?

Plus I like how Kuina was his goal and it intentionally wasn’t romantic. I liked the friendly deep connection between two swordsman.

I also don’t think that Kuina would have viewed Zoro like that even if she properly grew up.

••

Zoro x Hiyori: Hmmmmmmmm.

I kinda have mixed feelings about this one.

At first I didn’t like it. I didn’t understand why Hiyori liked Zoro and to be honest I still don’t.

The only reason I really see is because he wasn’t attracted to her and protected her physically. Plus he’s a strong swordsman like her father.

I actually really really like Hiyori’s character, but I feel like it might’ve been a mistake to add her feelings towards Zoro into Wano by Oda. But I do really like how she didn’t necessarily act on it. Sure, she had some damsel in distress moments and did flirt with him, but she kept her priorities straight and helped free Wano.

I really respect her for that. I wish that more female characters were done properly like her.

Zoro also clearly showed no interest towards her. The most he cared for in relation to her in my opinion was her father, Oden, her brother, Momonosuke, and the blade Enma.

Zoro also wouldn’t be willing to have feelings for her. She isn’t a part of the Strawhats and has no future with them. She isn’t hugely impactful towards the Strawhats as a whole. His loyalty wouldn’t ever be able to be in two places at once like it would be if he loved her yk??

I like Hiyori, I like Zoro, but I don’t like them together

So. The ship is okay I guess. I don’t ship it and I don’t support it however. I also don’t ever see it happening in canon. I also think Hiyori wouldn’t like Zoro if she really got to know him and would be better with a different person.

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Heheh this was nice to write about I enjoy Zoro’s character. Kinda long too

Thanks for reading

Mwah 😽

[melonteee]

You know I appreciate that sometime OP puts women in the background going gaga over a beautiful lady. Lily is the obvious example but even on wano there's a few examples. I know there's more notable rep examples (for good and ill) but I do appreciate something so casually put in there.

omg in a recent ep there was literally a woman giving Hiyori heart eyes, and we've also had men give heart eyes to other men (ie in Water 7 the guys of the city were going crazy over the Galley-La Company). The G5 squad also said Sanji's so cool they could fall for him LMAOO One Piece said there be queers in these waters

[every-sanji]

What do you think are the best and worst arcs for Sanji, post and pre skip? (ie best and worst arcs pre-skip, and best and worst post-skip)

So disclaimer I've said this before I have not read post Wano third act so I can't say anything about what came after that maybe once this blog catches up to weekly releases and I start reading as I queue again closer to where I stopped in 2020 I'll change my mind but with all of that out of the way.

Pre-Time Skip

Best Arcs: I will always have a soft spot for the Baratie arc. I love the East Blue arcs in general I think they were a great introduction to the series as a whole and Baratie is no exception there. Baroque Works I think was another really strong point with Sanji and I adore getting to see him scheme and plot things behind the scenes. Whenever he does this it makes me very happy I love when he just disappears mid chapter while I'm working on this blog because I get excited seeing what he does when he reappears.

Worst: I feel like the cheap answer is Thriller Bark because of the womanizing and the nose bleeds and everything about him. And it is also correct. I think his mermaid antics in Water 7 also put it lower on this list.

Post Time Skip

Best Arcs: Whole Cake Island hands downnnnn it's his arc it's his character development. It really expands on a lot of things that were hinted at prior to the big reveal and it's just a well done arc. I am looking forward to my reread of this one! And from what I read of Wano back in the day I did like him there but again I dropped off around when chapter 1000 came out maybe shortly after. Actually fun fact my freshman year of college before I started working on this blog and was still keeping up with weekly releases I used to read the new chapters before my geology class while I was waiting for my lab partners to show up and this stands out so vividly in my mind and maybe that's why I like it so much.

Worst: Another cheap shot with Fishman Island but also Punk Hazard. I actually don't mind Punk Hazard as a whole I am also a Law fan at the end of the day and any time he's on screen I go <3 but the body swapping with Sanji was not his greatest moment. I wish he could be just slightly more normal about women in his personal life.

[swans-anime-ramblings]

A comprehensive in-depth look at why the OP anime is the way it is

Over on Twitter, user tomorrow_d_ani linked a very long and comprehensive paper (yes paper) about the state of the One Piece anime in relation to WCI. It’s about 30 pages long, with a ridiculous amount of sources for the info. It was retweeted by Yonkou Productions, Anime Ajay and a smattering of other animation experts. The info is legit. Instead of encouraging everyone to read 30 pages of animation breakdown (though if you want to, please do. It’s right here) I thought I’d bullet point the highlights. 

Let’s get ourselves educated about the anime!

About the pre-time skip stuff

- Contrary to most western fans beliefs that Water 7/Ennis Loby and Marineford (or anything pre-time skip for that matter) is the best material the anime has ever put out, is not true.

The ratings for Ennis Lobby were so low the show was in legitimate danger of being cancelled.

There used to be two online bulletin boards where fans could post their thoughts about the episodes on the official OP website but they were both shut down because of nick picking comments and attacks on the animators.

To save the show from being cancelled, One Piece was moved out of the golden time-slot (19:00-22:00 hours) to Sunday mornings at 9:30 am. This is the block the show airs today

- There were complaints during Marineford that the show was horribly paced and there wasn’t enough Sakuga (ie high quality animation sequences). This was due to much of the staff being allocated to Strong World

Staff changes have affected the anime in negative and positive ways

-  The production began to improve during Punk Hazard up until the end of Dressrosa where it took another nosedive due to two specials and Film Gold, where many of the staff were taken off the anime

- The staff tried to revamp the anime during Zou but weren’t quite successful. However, what they learned allowed the quality of WCI to go up drastically

-  Luffy vs Sanji was treated as an actual special, and could be viewed as “episode of Sanji”. The amount of recap during the episode was to fill in viewers tuned in for the first time, but that had an adverse effect on weekly watchers

-  According to an annual report, OP had 6.2 million viewers in Japan in 2017, and 70% of those viewers were above 20 years old. 63% of viewers were male

- Keniichi Ichikawa replaced Kazuya Hisada as animation director, but Hisada moved into a new position as character animation director. This is why the art and closeups look so good in WCI

Pacing and Oda’s connection to the anime

-  Oda has stated in multiple places that he has greatly compacted his story in recent years and it doesn’t have as much detail as he would like so he can finish the story

This creates an opportunity for the anime to fill in details that Oda must omit

Oda has provided a lot of material to the staff to fill in these moments, like Sabo’s backstory, characters in WCI and so on

The staff contacted Oda when they wanted to add more action scenes from Imurashi’s Musketeers in the Zou arc

- Pacing control has improved from PH and has reached stability in WCI

Production of One Piece

-   Toei isn’t exactly responsible for the long running format

The cash flow is as follows: Sponsors ---> Advertisement Agency ---> Tv Stations ---> Animation studio

Toei is at the bottom rung of the decision-making ladder

Multiple stakeholders in the anime (which in addition to the above flow chart include Shuiesha and Oda) mean decisions for the anime’s production is made by a committee

In order for the filler arc after Zou to be approved (so the staff had more time to get ready for WCI) it had to approved by ALL THE SHAREHOLDERS

-  During it’s run in the golden time slot Toei was producing about 38 episodes a year because there were a lot more breaks. In the time slot it’s in now, there are about 48 episodes a year

-  The animators at Toei love OP. They’ve given up holidays to work on the show

TL;DR

As western fans I think it’s important for us to note that we don’t quite understand how things work in the anime industry. One Piece was nearly canceled during Ennis Lobby and moved to a new time slot. Staff changes have caused a huge improvement for the WCI arc, and Toei is not responsible for the long-running anime format. Major changes in the anime have to get approved by multiple parties and shareholders. Finally, in-canon filler is seen by Oda and the staff as an opportunity, not a burden.

Honestly some real fascinating stuff. This isn’t to say the anime can’t be criticized, but I think criticism should come from a place to understanding. The more informed we are, the better off the fandom will be too! I’ve seen this happen in the Dragon Ball community, and I have hope for the OP community too :-)

[recentanimenews]

With the Wano Arc, One Piece is Finally Nearing its Endgame

It’s been clear for a long time that One Piece has been building up to something big. For as much as people joke about its length, One Piece has always been the type of story with a clear end goal in mind. Eiichiro Oda himself commented that the time-skip was about Wan Pisu’s halfway point, and while Oda’s estimates haven’t always been accurate (he originally expected One Piece to last about five years and that ship sailed almost twenty years ago), Wano is proof that One Piece is nearing its endgame.

Just consider how much time the series has spent setting it up. We first met Kin’emon back at Punk Hazard, which was also where Law first mentioned Kaido as the alliance’s target. And now, seven years later, Kaido is in reach. This isn’t like Whole Cake Island where Big Mom was more of an obstacle to rescuing Sanji than someone to be defeated — defeating Kaido is the entire reason the Straw Hats are in Wano. Even though Orochi is nominally the main target in Wano, he’s not much more than a puppet for Kaido. He obviously couldn’t have come to power without Kaido’s backing, and defeating him doesn’t mean much as long as Kaido’s still around. There’s no getting around it: Kaido has to go down. But, Kaido is no ordinary villain.

  Ever since the Four Emperors were first mentioned at Water 7, One Piece has always been clear that they’re at the top. Whitebeard — the first we saw in action — was introduced as the strongest man in the world, and proceeded to prove that by going toe-to-toe with people even Luffy didn’t stand a chance against. Even as recently as Whole Cake Island, Big Mom proved to be more of a force of nature than an opponent to fight. But things are different now. Luffy’s beaten Warlords, other pirate captains, and even an Emperor’s top fighter. The next step from there is fighting an Emperor directly. Once that happens, we’ll know that One Piece is really nearing its conclusion.

Think about it. Part of what makes One Piece so great is the cast’s visible progression over the years. Luffy’s gone from being proud of his 30,000,000 berry bounty to taking down people worth over 100,000,000 with little trouble. Each major arc showcases Luffy and his crew getting just a little stronger, just a little better at what they do. Each improvement puts them just a little closer to the One Piece, however long that journey actually is. So what happens when they finally reach the top? That’s when you know the One Piece is finally within their grasp.

Then again, fighting an Emperor is completely different from anything the Straw Hats have done before. Luffy tried doing things his usual way — finding the main enemy and charging off to fight them — but Kaido isn’t a typical foe. We’ve seen Luffy lose before, but usually because his opponent either had some special ability he didn’t know how to counter (ie. Crocodile) or because he was already injured or otherwise didn’t have a chance to go all out (ie. Kuma). None of that happens here. Luffy hammers Kaido with punches from Boundman — the same form that matched Katakuri and outmatched Doflamingo — only for Kaido to get right back up and end the fight in one blow. That blow is a statement: Emperors aren’t going down that easily.

  The Wano Arc embodies this sentiment: Things are different now. The Straw Hats aren’t just a scrappy little crew fighting their way up the ladder. They’re a famous pirate crew that’s nearing the top of the ladder. And things don’t work the same way at the top. You can’t just charge in and win through sheer determination when your opponent is a monster like Kaido. So much of the arc thus far has been spent preparing for the right moment to attack Kaido and Orochi to catch them off guard. Kin’emon’s plan is necessary now, since Kaido won’t be going down by brute force alone. But even if his plan goes off without a hitch, they still need someone capable of fighting Kaido, meaning Luffy has to improve fast. There aren’t any more enemies he can beat on the way, no steps between him and Kaido, just one massive leap to prove he’s able to take on an Emperor.

No matter how things end up, Wano is do-or-die time. If Luffy wants to keep advancing (and we know he does), he’ll have to surpass Kaido. And if he does, that’ll be a game-changer like nothing we’ve seen before. Look at all the upheaval that happened after Whitebeard’s death. The Navy went through massive rebuilding and restructuring, new pirates went out to snap up Whitebeard’s territory, and Blackbeard ascended to the level of Emperor. If Kaido goes down, the same thing is likely to happen, only Luffy will be at the center of everything this time around. Once that happens, we’ll know the One Piece is in sight.

  Though One Piece still has plenty left (the subplots from the Reverie alone will probably take years to resolve), the events since Luffy’s arrival at Wano are proof that the endgame is approaching. The One Piece may not be within Luffy’s grasp just yet, but it’s closer than ever before.

  What do you think of Wano so far? Are you excited to see One Piece nearing the end? Let us know in the comments!

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  Skyler loves writing and chatting about anime, and is always ready to gush about the latest One Piece chapter. Read more of his work at his blog apieceofanime.com and follow him on Twitter at Videogamep3.

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